Improvement in peed-hoppers



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J'UDSON MATTISON, 'OllA OSWEGO, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 99,926, dated Februari: 15,1870; untedated'Februa/ry 5, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEED-HOPPERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Lettere Patent and making part of the same. l u

To all whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, J UDsoN MA'r'rrsoN, o f Oswego, i'n the county of Oswego, and State or" New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-Hoppers for Hour and starch-packers, griet-mills, and other machines; and 1 do hereby declare the following to bei a. full and exact description of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which-'- Figure 1 is a top or plan view, and

Figure 2, a side elevation of one form of my improved` feed-hoppers IFigure 3, a plan view of a modification thereof; and

Figure 4, a vertical central section of yet another form of my said invention.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all of the figures.

'lhe nature of my invention consists in the combination of an inner movable vibrating or oscillating funnel, lining plate or frame, with a stationary, conical hopper or feeding funnel for delivering dry, granulated,

or pulverized substances into any desired receptacle or machine, so that the vibration of the inner lining plate or funnel shall operate, in connection with lthe exposed inner surface ofthe stationary hopper, to prevent a close packing and clogging of the material placed therein, and insure its regular' and rapid delivery as required. I The tendency of granulated substances in pass/ing down ,through a contracting passage, such as is found in a conical funnel, is not only to cling to the sides, and thus impede delivery therefrom, but also to form an arch, which, if undisturbed, will quickly resist and support the ordinary pressure and Weight of the superimposed mass, and thus arrest its delivery. In view of these facts it has been found necessary, especially -in feeding or delivering starch, ilour or other iiuelypulverized materials, and even with such coarser partrclcs as grain, to agitate the mass, and thus prevent the formation of an arch, or an adhesion of the material to the sides ofthe hopper.v To this end various devices have been invented and used for shaking the hopper itself', and different forms of stirrers have also been employed to revolve upon a shaft` within the hopper.

My invention diiiers from any of these devices, and by its 4simplicity as well as efficiency presents, in my opinion, a valuable improvement thereon. It is more, especially adapted for use in connection with iiour or starch-packi ng machines, but will undoubtedly be found useful in all manner of mills, and for all general purposes of delivery from funnels.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings- A designates a conical hopper of the form usually employed in machines .for packing iiour, starch, Sto., and which is consti-noted, fixed, and secured uponv the framework of the machine in the usual manner; Within this conical hopper A, I place a second conical hopper or, funnel, B, somewhat smallerin diameter,

but which may be slightly iattened'at opposite points,

so as to bear close against the inner surface ofthe stationary hopper at these opposite points, as shown atxx, fig. 1.

The lower portion of this inner movable hopper B is deeply notched, as indicated by the letters o o, g. 1,so as to expose at intervals theinner surface of the stationary funnel A at the bottom thereof'. f

The inner hopper B is supported within the funnel A, and made to vibrateby means of 'a bar' or rod, D,

D to move upon. The inner hopper is irnxly secured to the bar by keys or other suitable devices. Where a central shaft passes down through the hopper, .as usual in packing-machines, the bar is notched or bent centrally to embrace the same, as shown in g. 1.

The outer end of the bar is extended to form a handie, e, but its opposite end i's left projecting only farr I enough to extend into-thel` slot forming 'its bearing.

A partial rotation of the inner hopper back and forth is effected by means of the handle e, as desired. This movement ofthe inner hopper, by disturbing the arrangement of the particles resting upon those portions of the surface of the stationary hopper A exposed by the notches c c, at the bottoni ofthe inner hopper, (see iig. 1,) will prevent any clogging at the bottom of the.

hopper, and insure a speedy'delivery of the material therefrom.

It is not necessary to use a bar, D, extending en', tirely across the hopper, as supporting pins may be secured to the inner hopper, and Vprojecttherefrom through the slotted apertures s s to support it, one of said pins being extended to form the handle e.

lhe inner hopper B may be made shorter and more tapering than the stationary hopper A, as illustrated in fig. 4, and be swung upon pivot pins li 'i secured at opposite points to the upper portion of the inner hopper B, andy passing through apertures in the outer hopper. lhe oscillation of the inner hopper upon its pivots serving to'agitate the lower portion of the contents of the double hopper A B, resting upon the lower portion of the stationary hopper A, will, as before described, loosen and disengage-'the mass, and insure 1ts speedy delivery.

The movement of the inner hopper B .need notlbe co'ptinuous, but simply intermittent, and it may be effected by hand, orby any suitable mechanical devices.

Instead of using an inner hopper, B, figs. 1 and 4, my invention may be carried out by securing Within the stationary hopper A a lining plate, F, fig. 3, curved to conform to the interior of the hopper, and fastened thereto at one point, but which shall cover but onelialf of its inner circumference. The remaining portion of the inner circumference of the hopperA is then covered by a secondary lining plate, G, curved likewise to' conform thereto, whose edges shall project and ex-` .Although I have described herein leading peculiarities in the form and construction of an inner movable lining funnel or hopper, B or F G, in combination with aI stationary feeding hopper, A, I do not limit myself to these special forms, but contemplate the use of any form of interiorliningwhich permits one portion of the mas's contained or passing through the hopper to rest upon a stationary surface, (whether it be the inner surface of the outer hopper `A or of a stationary lining, F, within it,) and the remainder upon a movable surface, either continuous in diameter, (as in hoppers B, figs. v1,2, and 4,) or sectional, (as in lining'G, iig. 3.)

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent The combination, substantially as herein set forth, of an inner movable lining plate or surface, with the interior of a stationary feedfhoppejr, A, or of a stationary lining plate, F, therein,l for the purpose of securing the free delivery of fiom', grain, or other pulver-nient or granulated material therefrom, substantially as herein described. l .y

The foregoing specification of my improvement in feed-hoppers signed by me this 24th day of May, A. D.

.4 J. MAITISON.`

Witnesses: l

` DELos GARY,

. LESTER C. WRIGHT. 

